HVAC Course Outline Mustang OK

How to Pick the Right HVAC Certification Class near Mustang Oklahoma

air conditioner condensers in Mustang OK Once you have decided on a career as a heating and cooling professional, the next step is to choose an HVAC technical school near Mustang OK. But with so many to pick from, how do you pick the right one to get the training that you need? Some potential students will make their decision based entirely on the cost of tuition or how near the school is to their residence. Even though these are necessary concerns, they are not the only ones to evaluate. Some of the other details that you need to investigate are the graduation completion rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. Those and additional criteria will be discussed in more detail later within this article. But before we explore how to pick an HVAC technical school, let’s look at what a heating and cooling professional does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Technician

Mustang OK HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is commonly used in the trade that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC professionals specialize in the installation, maintenance and repair of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are generally required to be licensed, although every state and local municipality has its own prerequisites. Acquiring professional certification is not mandatory, but an alternative way for Mustang OK HVAC technicians to prove that they are exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable in their area of specialization. There are many respected certifications within the trade that are available. Here are some of the important ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally recognized certification for HVAC techs. The certification is earned by passing a competency examination and can be received in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification offers both a professional and a master specialist credential. 2 years of field experience as well as passing a comprehensive exam are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have three years of experience in addition to a passing result on the professional level examination. As with NATE, certifications are offered in multiple specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is necessary for techs that work with refrigerants. There are three forms of certification obtainable, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing might be required in your location, and you may also desire to obtain certification, it’s essential that you select an HVAC technical school that will prepare you for both. And since you will probably be dealing with refrigerants, make sure that the school you decide on readies you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Degree Schools

radiator heater in Mustang OK home There are a number of alternatives available for HVAC instruction in a vocational or trade school. You can attain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Acquiring a certificate will take the lesser period of time, often achieved in just 6 months, although some courses are longer. A certificate will train you for most HVAC positions, especially if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree programs may provide a competitive advantage for securing employment and will furnish more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Below is a brief description of each option offered near Mustang OK.

Certificate. Usually requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among beginning residential or commercial HVAC professionals. They provide a solid foundation of skills for job opportunities within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program provides a more extensive background of heating and a/c systems than the certificate program. Typically requiring two years to finish, some degrees incorporate an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is tailored more towards a career in management as well as business ownership. Some programs require an Associate Degree, while others are a conventional four year program. In addition to mastering how to service and maintain heating and cooling systems, you will also study how to design them.

Selecting the right credential program will be dependent on what your long term career objectives are, along with the time and money that you have to commit. One option is to start with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after acquiring some experience in the field in Mustang OK, subsequently returning to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, be sure to ask the HVAC technician school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Classes Online

Mustang OK student attending HVAC school online Enrolling in an HVAC program online is one approach to obtaining your education and earning a degree or certificate. Nearly all schools will require some attendance on campus to take part in hands on training. Some also offer internship or work-study programs in addition to or instead of practical lab work. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, this alternative may be a more accessible solution for many Mustang OK students that are pressed for time. And many online degree programs are less expensive than other on campus choices. Even driving expenses from Mustang and study materials can be lessened, helping to make schooling more budget-friendly. And numerous online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your job or family obligations have left you with limited time to attend classes, perhaps an online HVAC degree program will make it more convenient to accommodate school into your busy schedule.

Questions to Ask HVAC Certification Classes

Questions to ask Mustang OK HVAC training schools Once you have decided on the type of certificate or degree that you wish to earn, either online or on campus, you can begin to decrease your selection of schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are a large number of HVAC vocational schools in the Mustang OK area and across the USA to select from. That’s why it is extremely important to have a list of key qualifications when making school evaluations. As earlier stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will undoubtedly be the initial two factors you will consider. Following are some additional ones that you should investigate before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Many HVAC trade programs in the Mustang OK area have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance HVAC technology. Make sure that the school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you acquire an excellent education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Also, a number of states require that the HVAC training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Cooling schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate could signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It could also indicate that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which can produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Mustang OK HVAC employers to help students secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many HVAC trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of Heating and Cooling businesses or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with local Mustang OK HVAC companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the HVAC tech you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Mustang OK HVAC company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Mustang OK home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Mustang OK, verify that the programs you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.

Considering an HVAC School near Mustang OK?

Perhaps you are considering enrolling in an HVAC training program in the Mustang Oklahoma area. If so, you may find the following background information about the location of your new school campus both interesting and informative.

Mustang, Oklahoma

Mustang is a growing city in the southeast corner of Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 17,395 at the 2010 census, a 32.2 percent increase from 13,156 at the 2000 census.[3] The city is now primarily known as a bedroom community for Oklahoma City.[4]

The Mustang post office was established in 1895, but the town was not formally established until Charles G. Jones, former mayor of Oklahoma City, filed the plat in November, 1901. During that same year, the Oklahoma City and Western Railroad (acquired later by the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway, (Frisco) built a line from Oklahoma City to Chickasha that passed through Mustang.[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.0 square miles (31 km2), of which, 12.0 square miles (31 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it is water. The total area is 0.25% water.

Enrolling in the right HVAC training program is a critical first step toward a rewarding career in the heating and cooling field. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Course Outline. However, as we have addressed in this post, you should choose an HVAC trade school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC community. Other features to look for are sufficient hands-on training and modern facilities. You need to visit each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to inspect the campus and talk with both the faculty and current students. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. In addition, inquire about scheduling options and whether night or weekend classes are offered if needed. And don’t forget to ask about financial assistance and student loan options too. If you ask the appropriate questions as we have outlined in our checklist for evaluating schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make an educated decision. With the appropriate training, hard work and dedication, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC contractor in Mustang OK.